Ozark / YMMV - TV Tropes

Alas, Poor Scrappy: Wyatt had a few detractors, but that didn't mean some of them couldn't help but pity him having to see his new wife killed right before he's shot in the head, over a matter he had no control over.
Alternative Character Interpretation:
- Jonah Byrde: He is just going through a morbid phase or is he a budding psychopath?
- Did Jonah tell Ruth that Javi killed her brother just to be honest? Did he want to stop her from shooting his parents? Or did he think that killing Javi would protect his family?
- Jacob Snell: Does he really love Darlene that much, or he's simply wise enough to play along with her crazy antics, to not get murdered himself in one of her random fits.
- Wendy's behavior after Ben's death. She keeps bringing the subject to attention, lying that he was an opioid addict to gain sympathy and insisting he's missing. Is it a cold exploitation of a death she caused, for "good PR", as she herself claims? Or is she at least partially moved by guilt, trying to keep his memory alive? There are indications she's deeply in denial about his death, or at least the circumstances of it, as Marty seems to have to remind her that a body found with his description cannot possibly be him.
- Nathan Davis, Wendy's father: Exactly how much he's a self-serving, Holier Than Thou awful man Wendy makes him up to be, and how much of his behaviour is genuine and honest, and everything else being just Wendy's personal bias. On top of that, there is his insistence of taking Jonah and Charlotte: either due to trying to one-up and humiliate Wendy one more time, or because he truly only cares about their well-being and safety.
- While Wendy was definitely desperate to keep Charlotte and Jonah, was her pathetically begging and grovelling for Nathan to let her keep them a genuine breakdown or was it calculated theatrics to guilt him into giving up the guardianship or to guilt her children into coming back or at least make them dislike Nathan? Nathan's facial expressions, body language and words to her made it seem like he knew that Wendy was going to make a big scene, as though she done it in the past.
  - Did Nathan demand Wendy stop begging him to let her keep her children out of embarrassment for himself and/or her or so that Charlotte and Jonah wouldn't see her, feel guilty and change their minds?
- How long was Camila planning to overthrow her brother? Did she only do so because he said he killed her son? Did she finally go through with his assassination to consolidate power or so he wouldn't kill her first?
- Was Camila genuine was her sympathies for Marty's familial problems? Likewise, was she genuine that she would have Charlotte and Jonah killed if Ruth escaped or was it an empty threat to scare the Byrdes?
- Camila's long wait before shooting Ruth; moral hesitation, or relishing the moment she murders her son's remorseless killer?
- Did Marty and Wendy really think that Mel would have accepted a bribe or did they just want to stall him until Jonah and/or Charlotte could arrive and kill him?
- The final scene of the series is Jonah aiming a gun at Mel, then a Smash to Black followed by a gunshot. The most obvious interpretation of the scene is that he murdered Mel in cold blood to prevent him from going to the police, but its also possible he simply fired a warning shot or even shot one of his parents, having realized just how evil they really were.
Aluminum Christmas Trees: It may seem like a bit of artistic license when the preacher holds his infant son under the water for a long time, then brings him back up into the air none the worse for wear, but infants instinctively hold their breath when underwater.
Anti-Climax Boss:
- Del seems like he's going to be the Big Bad of the series. Then Darlene blows his head off out of nowhere over an extremely petty matter. Even the ramifications of this are fairly minor, as the business with the Cartel goes on smoothly once Jacob presents them with a scapegoat.
- Likewise, Cade Langmore spends the entire first season being built up as a major threat once he gets out of prison. But after he gets released in Season 2, he doesn't do much besides committing a few felonies that doesn't have any impact on the overall plot (except his murder of Roy Petty, which is to the Byrdes advantage, no less). By the season finale he is rather unceremoniously killed trying to escape town, so he didn't exactly live up to his build-up as a formidable villain.
- After three seasons of build-up, Darlene Snell is unceremoniously gunned down without any fanfare whatsoever. The fact she earlier survived without a single scratch an ambush by cartel enforcers that turned her car into Swiss cheese made her eventual death all that more anti-climactic.
Audience-Alienating Ending: It didn't even take 24 hours after the finale dropped for many fans to say that the conclusion of the show (especially which characters die or pull a Karma Houdini) is a reason for new fans to avoid the series. This not only extends to the ending of the series itself, but the whole last season, as it takes the plot on a ride... on a roundabout, getting back exactly where it was by end of season 3, just with few more characters dead and a massive cope-out with its arc story, rendering that season simply pointless.
Award Snub:
- Tom Pelphrey's acclaimed work in the third season wasn't even nominated, even though many thought and hoped his work in "Fire Pink" would've earned him a win. He then went on to get snubbed at both the Golden Globes and SAG. The latter especially hurts given lead actor Jason Bateman won there, even though the supporting Pelphrey was the considered the standout male actor on the show that season.
- Janet McTeer was also ignored that season despite getting a good deal of praise. A few fans even said she was more deserving of a nomination than costar Julia Garner, who wound up winning Supporting Actress.
- Despite being considered the favorite that year, Laura Linney's work in season 3 failed to earn her an Emmy. However, it's worth noting that winner Zendaya's performance for Euphoria was also highly acclaimed, and her victory is respected, nonetheless. Helps that Linney already has quite a few Emmys. At the same time though, the fact that both Julia Garner and Jason Bateman walked away with major awards (the Emmy and SAG respectively) while the more acclaimed Linney went home empty handed didn't sit well with some people.
Base-Breaking Character:
- To some, Agent Petty is an enjoyably despicable and effective antagonist to the Byrdes. To others, he's an annoying and incompetent baddie who only exists to make Marty look better in comparison.
- Some people find Wyatt to be likable and sympathetic, while others find him to be boring and too pathetic to take seriously. The latter viewpoint became much more pronounced after Season 3 gave him a bigger role that takes screen-time away from more interesting characters.
- Darlene. Some fans enjoy her unpredictable and insane nature and the drama that comes from it. Others think she's annoying due to having little character outside of acting like a maniac. Not helping matters is despite engaging in plenty of Stupid Evil actions that alienate those around her, she frequently manages to avoid any real consequences.
Broken Base: Jason Bateman's performance. It's been praised as an excellent, internalized turn to drama from a usually comedic actor while also being criticized for showing a lack of range and being subtle to the point of underplaying the otherwise heightened drama.
Designated Villain: Agent Petty is treated as a bad guy by the show, but he's completely in the right to go after Marty, who's a shameless criminal allied with extremely dangerous people. This is more present in the beginning of the series, as he becomes far worse by the second season. But even then, this can count, as while his actions are fairly despicable then, the show never once acknowledges that he's still on the side of good.
Diagnosed by the Audience: Ruth claims offhandedly to have ADD, but only while lying through her teeth about her motivations for buying the Lazy-O motel, leaving it unclear if she was lying about that too.
Draco in Leather Pants: Marty and Wendy's ingenious money laundering schemes, charisma, and fear that the cartel will kill their family if they fail their job make many fans view them more as Anti Herooes than Villain Protagonists, at least early on. Other fans and critics argue that they don't deserve that sympathy, even without factoring how many people they end up getting killed. Such people point out that they could never had to get involved with the cartel and help it spread its devastating product in the first place and that (unlike say, Walter White at the beginning of Breaking Bad) they could have had a comfortable middle class life without taking that step into criminality. Nonetheless, they still act like victims and manage to get a lot of the audience to view them as such.
Ensemble Dark Horse:
- Ben quickly became a universally beloved character. This is due to him actually being a good person, bringing in a strong supply of charm and laughs, depicting mental health issues in a realistic and horrifying manner, and being massively sympathetic. Many were heartbroken to see him get killed off before his introductory season had even ended.
- Buddy is well liked since he's a humorous Cool Old Guy who's proven rather useful to the Byrdes many times.
- Nelson has earned a few fans who can't help but admire how brutally effective he is.
- Mel Sattem, the PI from season 4. He has nothing to do with the big scheme and is just doing his job to get a signature, but he's wickedly good PI that also is smart enough to keep his distance as much as feasible after figuring out he's now in a Town with a Dark Secret or two.
Esoteric Happy Ending: Happy for the Byrdes, at least. While they're all alive, they just murdered an unarmed private investigator, who may possibly be a police detective if he didn't quit his job, on their front lawn with a shotgun, although they could take advantage of castle doctrine and claim that he was an intruder. In addition, with Ruth dead, the Cartel may force Marty to resume control of the riverboat casino unless they replace her with Rachel. Speaking of Rachel, she and the Byrde kids probably won't take Ruth's death very well when they hear about it.
Evil Is Cool:
- Jacob Snell is a Soft-Spoken Sadist who threatens to have Marty and his family killed when they unintentionally impede on his business. After this is resolved, he's revealed to be a Cool Old Guy who rarely loses his temper and cooperates relatively well with the Byrdes once they go into business together.
- Del is a fan-favourite villain with his soft-spoken, yet intimidating persona who actually shows respect to Marty for his intelligence, unlike his Psychopathic Manchild boss Omar. Quite a few fans were disappointing that he was killed off before the first season had finished.
Fan-Preferred Cut Content: Ruth survives in the original outline of season 4, something that was changed after season 4 was split in half and the writers needed a new ending. Many fans feel the character deserved better in general and that sacrificing her just to make the show a bit longer, darker, and more controversial wasn't worth it.
Growing the Beard: Even those who weren't big fans of the first two seasons agree that the third was a huge step up, owing to higher stakes, deeper characterization, the introduction of Ben, the expanded role of Helen, Wendy becoming more centralized to the plot, Marty becoming more sympathetic, and all-around smarter writing.
Heartwarming Moments:
- Early in Season 1, Marty and Jonah have a heart-to-heart talk, and Jonah suggests Marty scout out the Blue Cat for business.
- Buddy's funeral. Among the attendees are Wilkes, Sam, Jade and Frank Cosgrove, and Wendy and Jonah eulogise him as a good friend.
- Charlotte giving Jonah a much-needed haircut in "Gold Coast".
He Really Can Act:
- While his comedic chops were already widely acclaimed, many were impressed by Jason Bateman's dramatic talents. Adding onto that, some who weren't as big on his work in the first two seasons believe that his more emotional turn in season three was a big improvement.
- After being best known for soap operas and small, not exactly acclaimed shows, Tom Pelphrey managed to wow a lot of people with his incredible performance here, to the point that many believe he was robbed of an Emmy nomination and win.
He's Just Hiding:
- In real life, plenty of people have survived similar gunshot wounds similar to the one Ruth gets in the finale, the bloodstain around the wound is still bleeding when the camera cuts away (dead people stop bleeding), and her shooter is shaken and unfocused. All of this and the character's enormous popularity make it both possible and tempting to hope that she's not dead.
- As the screen cuts to black in the final scene before the actual gunshot, there is a theory that Jonah shot Marty and/or Wendy instead of Mel. Proponents of the theory add that the jar of Ben's ashes was not heard smashing.
Love to Hate:
- Del Río is a fan-favourite villain because of his soft-spoken, yet intimidating persona. In spite of this, he has the decency to show Marty some respect for his intelligence. Quite a few fans were disappointed that he was killed in the Season 1 finale, when he was well-established enough to be the show's Big Bad.
- Agent Petty truly lives up to his surname and is pretty corrupt as well. He is also entertainingly sleazy and snarky. Audiences enjoy loathing him.
- Helen is a rather popular villain thanks to her cold brilliance and wit, while also showing off a more human and vulnerable side at times. She also stands out as being the strongest foe the Byrdes have faced yet.
Magnificent Bitch: Camila Elizondro is the sister of Omar Navarro and a high-ranking member in the Navarro Cartel. Shortly after her son, Javier, was murdered, Camila set out to find and kill whoever was responsible. Believing Omar was to blame, she tried to have him assassinated in prison, later framing one of his lieutenants in the process. When Marty and Wendy Byrde propose a plan to have her run the cartel instead of Omar, she agrees, staging a breakout for Omar only to have him killed afterwards. Once she discovers Ruth Langmore murdered her son and not Omar, she immediately follows Ruth to a secluded location and personally guns her down, thus exacting her revenge all while becoming the new cartel leader.
Memetic Mutation:
- Ruth's iconic line of "I don't know shit about fuck".
- And now "If you wanna stop me, your gonna have to fuckin' KILL MEEE!!!"
More Popular Replacement: Helen ended up striking more or a chord with audiences than Del thanks to having a much larger and more developed role.
Moral Event Horizon: The Byrde family killing Mel Sattem in the very end of the series. Jonah is implied to gun down Mel, and thus joining the side of his parents for good.
Narm:
- Jacob's speech about the differences between rednecks and hillbillies is clearly meant to be philosophical and meaningful, but comes across as directionless and confounding.
- Wendy's rambling "I Have a Family" spiel when she is being kidnapped by Mason.
- Ruth's blowups towards Marty and Wendy, particularly when it comes to deceased relatives and friends, tend to skirt the line between harrowing and just plain comical for how often it has her lapsing into hysterics and foul-mouthed diatribes.
Nightmare Fuel:
- Darlene, due to her bat-shit crazy and unpredictable nature. Nobody ever knows what she will do or intend to do. She can talk sweet to you and in the middle of the sentence blow a hole in your skull. Or she can antagonise you for weeks, just to keep you on the edge, then do nothing. And since she's too crazy to have anything even resembling self-preservation, you can't threaten her back, since all that's going to achieve is getting her dead-set on simply killing you. She's so effective at spreading dread, when Jonah goes missing for just few hours, Marty and Wendy are in complete panic.
- Camila intimidating Clare, Marty and Wendy at the gala. After graphically threatening Clare into telling her that Ruth killed Javi, she notes that Marty and Wendy are close with her. To ensure they would not attempt to warn Ruth, she points out Charlotte and Jonah to her hitman, with the clear implication it's either Ruth or them. Unable to save Ruth without dooming their children, Marty and Wendy are left powerless to save their surrogate daughter.
- The final scene. Despite Mel already having given up his job, Marty and Wendy still try to bribe him. When he refuses and tells them that they can't be "like the Kochs or the Kennedys" and that the world doesn't work that way, Wendy curtly responds "Since when?". Cue Jonah and Charlotte arriving, Jonah pointing a shotgun at Mel and firing. All while Marty and Wendy look on quietly, without apologising or attempting to further threaten Mel. The way it's shot is like a Mafia family.
Replacement Scrappy: Though the Snells were well received from their introduction, the stereotypically unhinged Darlene was seen to be a far less compelling villain than her calmer, friendlier husband, Jacob. Many fans expressed disappointment when Jacob was killed near the end of Season 2, leaving Darlene to take his place as the Byrdes' local adversary.
Spiritual Successor:
- Many compare the show to Breaking Bad. Similar tone, comedic actor in a dramatic role. Family man enters life of crime believing there will be no unintended risks or consequences. Protagonist becomes increasingly more ruthless as situation gets worse. Lots of innocent victims caught up in scheme. Young adult brought into the fray who starts out seemingly awful, only to be shown to have hidden depths and become much more sympathetic.
- Due to the similar premise of a family reestablishing themselves in a rundown rural town, many have jokingly suggested that the series is a Darker and Edgier version of Schitt's Creek.
Spoiled by the Format: It's a series called Ozark, so we know in the Season 1 and Season 2 finales that the Byrdes aren't going to leave the Ozarks.
Squick: Given that this is a show that dwells on ruthless members of drug cartels performing heinous acts, this comes with the territory.
- When cornered by the Cartel, Marty is tortured by having several of his toenails pulled out.
Take That, Scrappy!: For any fans bothered by Darlene's long list of psychotic actions that she never properly pays for, including major amounts of Plot Armor throughout the second and third season, there's a morbid satisfaction in seeing her helplessly gunned down by a similarly crazed opponent who she's spent the whole season defying. Though that's undercut a bit by the far more sympathetic Wyatt having to watch before he's killed as well.
They Wasted a Perfectly Good Plot:
- The conflict with the Snells and especially with Darlene is build up as important element to the landscape of the series. It has few minor subplots, then it goes absolutely nowhere by season 3 and ultimately Darlene is unceremoniously killed off, removing the Snells from the show entirely.
- The car accident has been criticised for not killing or even badly injuring any of the Byrdes, only serving to strengthen the family's relationships with each other.
- Anything even remotely related with Mel Sattem might as well not exist, that's how little it ultimately affects the plot. That includes the character himself, who, while interesting on his own right, ends up being a named extra.
Too Bleak, Stopped Caring: It's been a problem with the series from the get-go, with everyone being unlikable, unrepentant or simply stupid (sometimes all three at once), while the grand set-up involves cartel machinations, Hillbilly Horrors and the general scum of Earth at each other's throats, with Villain Protagonist navigating through the storm. But by season 4, the only sympathetic characters still left are either from the support cast (firmly under Good Is Impotent) or Ruth Langmore, who starts as the antagonising villain in season 1 and doesn't exactly change her act or stop committing various crimes - it's that everyone else got way worse. The fact everyone sympathetic who isn't Agent Maya is dead by the end and the series clearly indulging in being bitterly cynical with its finale isn't making things any better.
Too Cool to Live: By the end of the series, every single Ensemble Dark Horse is dead - and grand majority of them killed, too. If that wasn't enough, after four seasons worth of Character Development and coming on top of everyone, Ruth is gunned down in the finale.
Uncertain Audience: The first season of the series struggled significantly to decide what it wanted to be and who it is aiming at. It was attempting a lot of (oftentimes Cringe) Black Comedy, and playing up Jason Bateman's comedic associations. It was clearly trying to get Breaking Bad audiences, with dark tones and a violent cartel in the background^note. It also experimented with a lot of themes and characters, undecided yet how to utilise both Langmores and Snells, the latter of whom got a straight-up Hillbilly Horrors portray. The end result was a very eclectic series that seemed to be a different kind of show with each episode. It wasn't until season two that Ozark found its footing and thus finally decided what audience it wanted to target.

YMMV / Ozark

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